I am putting together a short talk which I'm going to give to some non-photographers.

I'm going to talk about things they can do with their compact cameras to make their images nicer. I have a bunch of ideas / tips to pass on to them, but I need to cut out most of them (it's a short talk - 20 minutes or so).

What are your top tips for "normal" people who own a compact camera (or even just a phone)?

Also, any tips for talking to these guys? Any pitfalls you've encountered?

8 Answers
8

Unless it's a specific event "for compact/phone camera users only", don't stress the equipment part that much - that's not what photography is about, and some normal people have dSLRs too.

Since you have a short talk, choose 3 to 5 ideas and cover them with examples rather than dash through as many tips as you can. You can't fit a whole beginner's course in that time-frame anyway. I'd choose something from

Tell your tips, show samples (random snapshot vs. same shot using your tips) and only later tell them the samples were taken with just a compact/phone camera. Name the ideas shortly again in summary speech and there's a good chance some of them will stick with some listeners.

+1 for not bringing up much exposure stuff. Most compact cameras get exposures right enough on auto (especially with no really thin DoF available on a compact), that composition is paramount IMO.
–
rfuscaJul 18 '11 at 15:45

About 2 years ago I found myself in exactly the same situation and created a PowerPoint show of points with images to show the good and the bad of each subject. I found the key is KISS ... Keep It Short & Simple!

Here is the text from my presentation, I hope you find it helps ...

Digital Is Free! (virtually)

Taking one shot or twenty shots is practically the same cost

The cost of experimentation is close to zero

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, that is how humans learn

Have Patience, Take A Moment

Take your time

Look behind and beside the subject for obstructions or obstacles to the eye

Wait for the moment, the smile, the sunset

Taking an extra shot because something was not right takes a few seconds … trying to fix something afterwards can take hours!

Fingers, Fingers, Fingers … And Thumbs!

Look at your camera to find all holes & lenses

Identify the lens, flash, sensors, buttons, etc.

Find a comfortable grip that does not cover or obstruct any of these items

Practice ‘the grip’ so it is second nature

Give Time For The Timer

Learn how to set your timer

Join in the photograph via the timer

Pressing the shutter button can cause movement in long exposures, the timer can avoid this

Either a tripod or use of the timer will greatly improve night photography

Control That Flash!

Learn how to turn your flash off … PLEASE!

Flash only works between 3 to 10 feet

Flash never works through glass!

Available light photography has a more natural feel

Only use flash if it I really needed at dark night or for fill in light

Camera Scene Modes

Auto Mode – let the camera decide

Portrait Mode – blurs out background so make sure subjects are identified

Landscape Mode – everything in focus but needs lots of light

Sports Mode – freezes motion but can be grainy and/or have reduce depth of field

Night Mode – fires flash to get foreground then leaves shutter open for background

@Barry: Really comprehensive list. I have learned more from your answer than from a couple of photo sessions with a thinks-he-knows-it-all instructor, or a two hour talk with a pro photographer. I would only add a few tips on composition. (It's already covered elsewhere in this thread). By the way, does your name has something to do with "Very Simple"? (given the KISS acronym) :P
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JahazielJul 19 '11 at 16:11

AJ Finch - you're most welcome :) ... JZL - the name is just my family name from Scottish decent
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Barry SempleJul 20 '11 at 1:54

+1 for learn the modes. I'd add RTFM to that, but most folks will have already lost the fine manual, and the typical manuals aren't all that fine in the first place.
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RBerteigJul 19 '11 at 1:30

1

I'd also suggest trying the opposite of your second tip - use a tighter composition. Head-to-toe, 1/10th of the frame filled by person is nice if your subject wants to show off her outfit, but a waist-and-up or shoulders-and-up shot is more personal.
–
Evan KrallJul 19 '11 at 6:50

Evan, I think that's actually not contradictory - if you're taking a head-and-shoulders shot, you still want to leave some "padding" around the edges.
–
Mark BesseyJul 19 '11 at 21:59

Flash

When people complain about the quality of photos when using a flash, I always advice on putting a white (or yellow) thin piece of paper in front of their flash to difuse the light.

This avoid those completely overexposed white areas due to the harsh in camera flashes. And generally I've heard some pretty satisfied results.

I do explain to them that they'll have to experiment with different paper thickness due to strength of flash.

Exposure

When people complain about not getting the background or the foreground exposed, I explain them to aim the camera on the area you want to expose and avoid having the wrongfully exposed part in the scene, then focus (and meter) and than reframe to your original picture.

If more advanced computer user I would explain they could use Photoshop or a specific fusion blending application to merge the two pictures.

If you have access to a laptop or something so that you can show good and bad images to the participants it might be good to try and cover 3 or 4 common mistakes that are relatively easy to fix.

(Direct, non-diffuse, non-bounced) Flash off indoors. I know,
you can use rear curtain and slow exposures to get enough
ambient
light to make a decent shot, but that's a lot for people to
remember. Instead, you can just show bad washed-out faces
against a
black void (flash on) and compare it with a more evenly lit
party
shot (flash off, but higher iso, additional lighting, or some
other
solution)

Fill flash or shade for portraits in the sun. You can compare portraits
with really unflattering shadows and compare them with those
taken
with fill flash on.

Exposure compensation and the importance of getting it right.
You might want to show how other things such as color
temperature
and composition can be altered in photo editing software, but
how
your camera's sensor can't capture anything outside of it's
dynamic
range, meaning it's important to set exposure compensation
properly.

Alas, that often doesn't work with compacts, but a jolly good point for DSLRs!
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AJ FinchJul 19 '11 at 9:37

@AJ what—in my experience it works more often with compacts than with DSLRs: DSLRs may have the AF-trigger set elsewhere or a manual lens attached, both of which are rather rare among compacts. I've yet to see a (digital) compact without autofocus, but your mileage may vary.
–
koiyuJul 19 '11 at 10:07